the Spaniards had kindled on their retreat, in
order to make assurance doubly sure, as it were, and in the event of
their little scheme for the destruction of the battery miscarrying, to
deprive us of what would have afforded us an excellent retreat in which
to have withstood a siege.

The smoke, thick, pungent, and suffocating, from the tar and pitch with
which the roof and sides of the building had been from time to time
liberally coated, drifted down directly upon us in such dense volumes
that it was difficult to see an arm's-length ahead, making the act of
breathing next to an impossibility, and causing our eyes to stream with
water, whilst the heat soon became almost insupportable. Our enemies,
however, did not seem to be in the slightest degree incommoded either by
the heat or the smoke, but, perceiving how greatly it embarrassed us,
pressed forward more eagerly than ever to the attack. We, however, were
fighting for our lives, and it is astonishing how much men can do under
such circumstances. We actually succeeded in keeping the foe outside
our three walls, and finally, after a prolonged effort which inspired us
with a most profound sense of their individual intrepidity, they
retired, carrying off their dead and wounded with them. They made a
most daring attempt to carry off the cutter also with them in their
retreat, but fortunately she was secured by a chain attached to the
anchor, the latter being firmly embedded in the soil among the long
grass; and the idea of pulling it up not seeming to present itself to
any of them, they were compelled to abandon the attempt, owing to the
galling musketry fire which we maintained upon them.

Exhausted, breathless, with our lips black with powder from the bitten
ends of the cartridges, our skins begrimed with smoke, and with the
perspiration streaming down our bodies, we now had a moment's breathing-
space to look about us. The ground inside the battery literally
_bristled_ with the spears which had been launched at us, but,
marvellous to relate, only three of our number had been hurt in the
recent scuffle, and that but very slightly. The injuries, such as they
were, were promptly attended to, I at the same time doing what I could
for poor old Mildmay; the guns and muskets were re-loaded, and then,
placing a look-out at each angle of the battery, we sank down upon the
ground and snatched such a hasty meal as was possible under the
circumstances.

I embraced the o